MANILA -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Dole Philippines, Inc. in Polomolok, South Cotabato are set to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that will regularize more than 9,000 employees on Friday.

DOLE Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, together with officials of the cannery company, will sign the agreement.

“I think the Secretary, the next day (Friday), will go to Dole Philippines for the MOA signing on the regularization of more than 9,000 workers,” Maglunsod said in a press briefing on Wednesday.

However, the regularization is not immediate as they would still create an action plan, he added.

Last May, the labor department released the first batch of companies that were either suspected or found to be engaged in labor-only contracting (LOC), which includes Dole Philippines. The company was found to have 10,521 LOC workers.

LOC is defined as cases wherein the contractor merely recruits, supplies, or places workers to perform a job or work for a principal, but does not have substantial capital, tools, equipment, machinery, supervision, work premises; and that the contracted employees are performing activities that are directly related to the main business operation of the principal.

Maglunsod noted that the campaign against contractualization continues, urging workers to go to the DOLE office in their area if they have questions.